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The guards wore demonic armor with masked helms, the visages twisted in silent screams as they bore down on Breaker and Simone. Josh called after Leila as he rushed in front of her mother and intercepted the towering guards. Their halberds thrust glistening spear-points at him but he flowed aside like water over smooth stones, a single kick shattering both staff-weapons. He spun and kicked again, flooring the first demon. The second charged in its wake, a snarl echoing from beneath the twisted mask. Breaker dented the mask with a punch that would have shattered a glacier, and moments later both guards lay still.

“Impressive work, prizefighter.” Simone said, stepping daintily over the fallen demons. “Follow me. There will be more coming; we must escape.”

“We must go after Leila!” Josh amended, grabbing her elbow to pull her in the opposite direction, the way Ranja had gone.

“He will be in the most protected section of the palace by now!” Simone exclaimed. “She is my daughter, Breaker, but we must leave and return for her.”

“But the child…” Josh protested, but he allowed himself to be pulled as Simone grabbed his arm in turn and tugged him away.

They raced through the bowels of the palace, past cracked hearths and between crooked pillars, finally finding a long forgotten stairwell meant for servants. They climbed the cobweb strewn steps cheek-to-shoulder as Breaker worried over Leila and their child. At last they burst through a set of wooden double doors, finding their way into sunlight. Breaker blinked in the sudden brilliance, barely getting his vision back in time to see Simone collapse. He caught her before she could hit the ground, cradling her in his arms as Ranja had done with Leila.

“That run took… the last bit of my energy.” She said before passing out.

Breaker carried her quickly towards the outer wall, finding an unguarded gate and slipping outside. He raced prudently across wind-blasted terrain until he found shelter in a rocky outcropping and lay the succubus gently on the ground. He summoned a few droplets of water from thin air and splashed them across her smooth brow. With a soft gasp the woman awoke, gazing up at him tiredly.

“I’m afraid I won’t be much help, in this condition.” She said weakly.

“Take some of my energy,” he offered, “I’ve enough to go around.”

Simone let out a soft chuckle and then reached up and placed a single finger on his forehead. Josh felt a wave of weakness wash over him as the succubus drained a fraction of his nearly endless energy.

“Thank you,” Simone said. Some color entered her cheeks as she sat up against one of the boulders. “We should move again soon. Ranja will send search parties. But first, we must plan how we will rescue my daughter… and the fragments of her soul.”

Ranja moved swiftly through small hallways and dim lit passages, he carried the pregnant succubus with ease. “Wh-at’s happening,” Leila tried to lift her heavy head from her captor’s chest.

“Shh little tiger, in time you will understand.” He strokes her white tendrils from her face.

Leila tried to will her tongue to form words but it felt like lead in her mouth. “Pl..” A wave of fatigue washed over her as she could feel more of her energy being sucked from her. A small whimper of defeat left her lips as unconsciousness took her.

She wasn’t sure how much time had passed when her eyes finally fluttered open. Leila groaned, she looked around to see where she was. “Breaker,” she called out quietly. Everything was so hazy, she had been with him when they find her mother. What happened.. She growled with frustration, ran a flustered hand through her blonde-white locks.

“Funny you would call out for him when you lay in my bed,” Ranja’s voice filled the large room.

She jumped slightly taken by surprise. “Ranja,” she whispered softly. Suddenly he was right there in front of her. His hands tangled in her hair as he drew her against his chest. Leila tried to wither away from him but he had a vice grip on her.

“Ranja what do you want from me,” she whimpered finally able to slip away from him. Her hand protectively wrapped around her swollen stomach.

“You were to be mine, those things will not keep me from having what is mine by birth right,” the Prince roared as he thrusted his index finger at her stomach.

“Things,” she glanced down at her stomach quickly climbed from the bed. Things as in more than one… She took a few steps back but the Prince had a harsh look etched in his brow as he stalked towards her. She scurried across the bed to put some space between them.

“You won’t take my babies from me,” she cradled her stomach in her arms.

“Twins, just like you and Lynleigh were.” He spat at her, his tone filled with disgust.

Leila’s heart ached at the mention of her sister, “I am not yours.” She growled at him moving towards the door but his speed was too quick for her.

His hand wrapped around her throat, slowly he squeezed as the tips of her toes dangled off the granite floor. She clawed at his hands, her nails dug deeply into his flesh. All her efforts didn’t seem to phase Ranja as he squeezed so tight that Leila was sure her throat was being crushed.

“S-op…” Her unique orbs bulged with the lack of oxygen, just as she thought she was about to pass out he let her go. She dropped to the floor in a heap, she gasped, coughed and sputtered trying to force air in and out of her lungs.

She could already feel the bruises started to form around her neck as she slowly lifted her head upward. “You claim to love me but you let your entire family rape me! You raped me and tortured me for years! YOU don’t even know what love is!”

Weakly she pushed herself into a standing position but quickly was tossed on to the bed across the room. She landed with a soft thud her head bounced off the granite headboard, dazed her.

Hands ripped at her gown and roughly forced her thighs apart. “You will learn to love me Leila,” Ranja whispered in her ear. She thrashed, kicked and screamed. “No! Stop it!” She brought her knee up and thrusted it towards his groin area which took him by surprise. He rolled off the bed as Leila grabbed at the remnants of her now tattered clothes.

She made a break for the door again this time able to get it open, “Breaker!” She screamed, her frightened voice echoing off the stone wall. Just as she was about to run down the hall she felt her hair being pulled as she was tossed back into the room. Her body colliding with the cold floor as the air pushed out of her lungs.

As soundless as the shadows that stretched long with the evening, Breaker crept up on the gate. He needed to get as close as possible in order for the plan to work. His shoulder grated against the rough outer palace wall. He was nearing the point where the curvature would stop hiding him, and he’d be potentially visible to the guards standing either side of the gate. It was the same gate he and Simone had escaped through earlier, but with search parties Ranja had also sent out additional guards. Everything at that point depended on Simone.

The succubus came down the winding path toward the gate at the perfect moment, just as the guards came into Breaker’s sight. He could see them, but they did not see him - they were focused on the female demon, who approached with a flick in her hips and a smile on her lips.

“Hello lovelies,” she called to the masked guards. “How are you this fine Haidian evening?”

“Who are you?” One of the guards asked somewhat gruffly, but there was no real menace behind his tone. He shouldered his halberd and glanced at his compatriot. Unfortunately, when he glanced, his eyes fell on Breaker.

Close enough.

The prizefighter lifted both hands, and bolts of pure energy shot forth. The white light struck each demon in the chest, and they fell, the cauterized holes in their abdomens yawning at the sky.

They managed to avoid detection crossing the courtyard, and entered the palace using the same old stairwell through which they’d fled. Once again Breaker deferred to Simone’s knowledge of the palace, and they made their way through dimly lit hallways and sparsely decorated rooms.

“Where are we going?” Josh asked at last in a voice quieter than a whisper.

“To Ranja’s bedchamber,” Simone responded gravely, “if I know him like I think I do… that will be the first place he’ll want to take Leila.”

At that Breaker’s pace doubled, and he nearly left the succubus behind.

“Wait!” She called, hurrying to catch up. “It’s this way. There will be many guards soon… it will be a true test of your skill, prizefighter.”

“It’s probably best if you watch my back then,” Josh said. He kicked up his foot and snatched a black diamond dagger out of its sheath on his boot and passed the blade to Simone. “If anyone sneaks up behind me, stab them in the neck. That’s where their armor and flesh will be weakest.”

“You know an awful lot about demon anatomy and armor,” Simone commented with a raised eyebrow.

Leila gasped and gulped at the air as she struggled to breathe, her scalp burned from where he had wrenched her back by her blonde-white locks. Her mouth fell open as she rolled to her side, curling in a small ball. Breathe, in- out, in-out. She coached herself softly, she staggered to her feet, fresh tears filled her eyes.

Ranja closed the gap between them in a few long strides, his hand tangled in her hair once more. “Why must you make me hurt you,” he tone almost laced with pain.

He guided her head to his chest as he roughly soothed her now gnarled locks away from her. Silent tears spilled down her bruised cheeks as she tried to swallow around the large lump that had risen in her throat. “So don’t hurt- me.” Her voice was hoarse and thick with tears. “Be- be gentle Ranja, I don’t want to be hurt anymore.” Her voice was soft as if she was speaking to a wounded child. She fought against her natural instinct to place a soothing hand on her stomach. Instead she pulled away from him slightly and placed a shaky hand on his cheek.

“Shh, it’s okay. I see now we can be together you and I.” His gaze darted down to her swollen abdomen, his face twisted with confliction.

“Don’t worry, let these babies be born, that’s all that the fighter wanted. Not me I am nothing, my love without you. Just give me the shards of my soul, we can be together as one.” As the words left her lips she felt the bile rise in her throat.

She took a deep breath as the Prince fell to his knees his head laid on her swollen stomach now. “I can’t, I will not allow what is mine to bore another man’s seed.” His voice was low and with each word Leila’s heart sank a little more.

“No one would have to know please, I- don’t kill these babies Ranja.” Her voice broke as new found tears flowed freely down her cheeks. “I’ll-I’ll be good I swear just let them live please, I beg of you. I will never challenge you, no one is coming for me. You have me all to yourself.” She sunk to her knees, her hands falling into her lap.

“Enough!” He roared in her face, his hands wrapped around her shoulders as he shook her. Her head violently shook, rolled and jarred in ways Leila didn’t even know possible. “You will do as I say and the sooner those bastards are out of your gut the better.” He let her go, her vision still blurred from the violent shaking he had given her.

He stood dusting his hands off, he circled her once before making his way to the fire place. “For every time you defy me, I will mark you. You will learn soon begging and pleading is beneath you.” His hand wrapped around the fire poke that had been settled in the embers. He withdrew the poker, the metal at the tip held a orange glow to it.

Leila’s mouth went dry with fear as he came closer to her. She didn’t dare run for fear of his wrath turning toward her swollen stomach sooner. She felt the hot iron mere inches from the base of her back, the heat searing the peach fuzz hair on her skin. Breaker, mother, please be alive and hurry. She pleaded silently as the hot metal met her skin, everything went white for a moment as a blood curdling scream left her lips as he branded her for each time she had defied him.

They used the same tactic they’d used on the gate guards to fell the first pair at the end of the long hallway. According to Simone, Ranja’s bedchamber stood at the other end. Fortunately the hall did not follow conventional architectural laws; it bent, curved, and even changed directions in places. Plenty of angles Breaker to sneak along. Plenty of walls to spatter with Haidian blood.

Before long they could see the entrance to Ranja’s room. It was set in a part of the hallway so broad it might as well have been a room, complete with columns and torch sconces. Six guards stood sentinel in front of the the heavy double doors, their eyes flicking periodically in all directions from beneath their grimacing masks. Each held a halberd that glistened wickedly in the torchlight. The sound of their breathing echoed from within the helms and filled the hall.

Josh leaned back from peering around the corner and leaned down next to Simone’s ear.

“There’s six of them,” he whispered, “all armed and armored. I should likely handle this one alone.”

“I’ll be ready to rush in and save my daughter,” Simone whispered back.

Josh took a deep breath and rolled his shoulders. He was going to try something so risky it bordered on stupidity. But it had worked for him in the past… two out of three times.

He planted a smile on his face and strolled casually around the corner, his empty hands upraised.

“I surrender!” He called to the halberdiers as they noticed him and closed ranks, their axe blades and spear heads forming a semicircle that pinned him against a solid granite wall. Within mere moments the guards had gained complete control of the prizefighter.

Or so it seemed.

“What are those things made out of anyway?” Josh asked, winking at one of the guards. “Steel?”

There was a moment’s silence. Suddenly everyone moved at the same time. Some of the guards reared back to swing their halberds at Breaker. Others drove forwards to impale him on their spear points.

Josh surged forward like a tidal wave. The spear points broke through his clothing and opened his skin but could not penetrate the solid muscle fibers beneath. He caught the rest of the halberds mid-swing and pulled all six demons backwards with tremendous aggression. While he moved and bled his hands did their lethal work. He snapped the first Haidian’s neck, and struck the second in the throat with the edge of his hand so it collapsed writhing and choking. The last four drew their daggers and attacked in concerto.

Breaker was the most elusive note of the symphony. Wherever they stabbed they met either air or a fellow Haidian’s flesh, until all four of them lay wounded and leaking ichor.

“Simone, come!” Breaker called. He threw open the double doors and dashed inside the bedchamber.

Leila’s screams felt like broken glass in his ears. He saw Ranja standing over her, wielding the hot fire poker.

“You!” Ranja shrieked. He threw the poker at Breaker but it froze into a chunk of ice and slid harmlessly to the floor. The demon prince roared in anger and rushed to meet his foe. Breaker embraced him in close combat, the two powerful warriors grappling afoot as they tried to throw one another to the ground in a show of superiority.

Thwesh!

Black blood spouted from Ranja’s neck, and he crumbled to his knees, a confused look on his face. Breaker was equally shocked. Then in the shadows beside Ranja he saw Simone, wielding the black diamond dagger.

“You said stab him in the neck,” she said in a faraway voice, looking at the dying demon. “It worked well. But he is not dead.”

Breaker moved to Leila, his hands crafting icy poultices to soothe the wounds on her back.

Leila lost count after the tenth burn, when he had said all the times she had defied him she didn’t think he meant actually every single time. Her throat was raw from the screams and sobs. She was half out of it when her mother and Josh broke into the room.

“Jo-josh…” His name left her lips as she tried to get up from the fetal position she had put herself in.

The flesh around her back was tight as she cried out in pain. In mere seconds Josh was at her side using his ice powers to soothe and treat the brandings. With each ice poultice she whimpered, it was painful but also soothing.

She started to shiver uncontrollably, “the babies.” Her lips quivered rapidly her eyes bloodshot, tears trickled down her cheeks. She laid shaky hands on her swollen stomach. “Please be okay, please tell me they are okay..”

She looked towards Breaker, her unique orbs wide with fear. Her breathing was shallow as she tried to calm herself down. “She’s going into shock,” Simone pulled the knife from Ranja’s neck and ripped the necklace from his neck.

Quickly she was at her daughter’s side, soothing her gnarled tendrils out of her face. “Sh look at me, your babies are going to be fine I promise.” Breaker was silent during the entire ordeal but he placed a soft hand to her wet cheek.

“They are strong like their mother,” his voice was deep and rough.

Leila nodded slowly as Breaker helped her stand up, she hissed in pain as the prized fighter looked at her as if he was in physical pain himself.

“Are you both okay,” Leila looked them over as best as she could.

“Don’t worry about us, we just need to get you and your soul reunited and your children to safety.” Simone smiled softly.

“How are we going to get the other piece of my soul from the King?” Leila had a valid question as her mother slipped the necklace over her head. The shard of her soul lit up slightly, Leila could feel a small wave of energy wash over her.

The feeling of small fish swimming in her womb made her jump slightly. “I- I think I felt the babies move, is that possible?” She looked at her mother both surprised as happy.

“Anything is possible with your royal blood and his genetically advanced genes.” Simone smiled as Lelia glanced back at Breaker.

“Let’s get the rest of my soul and go home,” she offered him a soft smile.

“First Simone must show us to the portal chamber,” Breaker said as he led mother and daughter from the dead prince’s bedroom. Groaning guards still littered the hall just outside. Josh kicked each of them forcefully in the skull or throat as they passed, and by the time they made it to the far corner, every demon lay still.

“Shouldn’t we just go straight for King Ragnar’s shard of my soul?” Leila asked.

“This is in case we become separated.” Breaker explained. “We must all be able to find our own way there in case the worst should happen. And we must make certain we can make the portals work.”

“Agreed.” Simone said. She finished wiping the black diamond dagger clean of black ichor using a piece of bedsheet she’d sliced off, and passed the weapon back to Breaker. The prizefighter smiled his thanks and clapped the blade back into its ankle sheath.

They stuck to the unused servant corridors, creeping past cobwebs and bits of unwanted furniture. Before long Simone led them to the portaling chamber, a vast square room with a vertical stone ring standing in the center. Luminescent quartz shone from the walls, giving the room a feel of perpetual twilight. A strange stone control panel of some sort sat just off to the side of the ring.

“I can use this to send us wherever you wish to go,” Simone said, moving to the pedestal. She operated the controls deftly and a swirling blue mist appeared in the stone ring. “Where would you like to go? Corone?” The mist changed to green. “Raiaera?” The green inverted into a purplish pink.

“Fallien, of course.” Leila said. The pink became yellow and then solidified into a blurred image, which skewed and slowly molded into a view of a back alley in the Outlander’s Quarter.

“Good.” Josh said. “Tell me how to do that, and then you two are going through. It’s too dangerous here for our Leila and the babes. I’ll stay behind to get the last shard.”

“No way,” Leila said, planting her hands firmly on shapely hips. “We are all in this together prizefighter.”

“I will return to you,” Breaker promised. “But this chance is too great. You must go now. Look, even your mother agrees.”

“Take the man’s advice, darling.” A deep voice boomed from the hall. “You won’t get another chance.”

King Ragnar paraded into the room followed by a dozen masked and armored halberdiers. His scaly flesh was brown-gold, and he wore only a loincloth, a loose-fitting robe, and a crown topped by a deer’s skull complete with antlers.

“You must go!” Breaker hissed, taking Leila’s arm and attempting to lead her to the ring. Simone bit her lip and nodded.

“He is right,” the more mature succubus said, taking her daughter’s other arm. “Come along Leila.”

“Ragnar!” Josh shouted. He released Leila and stood in front of the women with his arms spread wide. “If you attempt to bring us harm, I will kill many of your guards. I may even kill you. But if you let them go, I will surrender as your prisoner.” His hazel eyes shone as he glanced over his shoulder at Leila. “Think of the value I could bring, not to mention the bragging rights! One of the most powerful men in the known world, in your dungeon. What do you say king?”

Ragnar lowered his hand and the crossbow dissipated in a puff of smoke. He stroked a smooth, leathery chin.

“That is a most interesting offer.”

“Josh, you can’t!” Leila screamed. Simone barely had hold of her.

“Go,” the demigod uttered. He turned and clasped the succubus shoulders, and then she shoved her and her mother carefully but forcefully through the portal. He spun as he had in the dungeon and kicked the pedestal. It seemed to groan, and the portal flickered and vanished.

“So,” Ragnar laughed. “It is decided for me.”

A dozen halberdiers surrounded Josh, and the burning crossbow reappeared, this time aimed at his head.

Leila landed on her round bum, her vision slightly blurred from the rough passage but also the tears. She stood quickly, her knuckles white with rage as she banged on the brick wall where the portal had spit her and her mother out.

“No, no Gods damn him no!” She screamed at the wall attracting the attention of a few citizens. Her body shook with sorrow and exhaustion, each blow from her fist lessened as her strength slowly betrayed her.

“Why, why would you let him do such a thing.” She directed her rage towards her mother who was slowly getting to her feet.

“Because I would do anything to save you and those babes,” she nodded down at her swollen belly as she reached out to touch it.

Leila swatted her hand away in disgust as she stalked off down the alley. Her mother quick in toe calling after to her. “I have to save him,” she called over her shoulder.

“You need rest and food, Josh knew what he was doing when he agreed to it. He cares for you and the babes and you haven’t rested or eaten since your quest has begun.” Her mother followed her into the busy streets of Fallien.

Leila rough shoved her way through the sea of bodies, her mother hot on her heels. “I will rest and heal once I free, Breaker.” She growled with irritation.

Leila’s unique orbs searched each shop desperately, she needed to quickly find a way to get back to Josh before Ragnar did unspeakable things to him for killing his eldest son.

Simone finally cornered her in a shop, “Leila you listen to me.” She took her daughter’s hand in her own. “I am doing this for your own good, once you are rested and healed we will look for him. I am sorry to do this.” Simone murmured softly.

“Do wha-,” a soft white powder was blown into her face as her vision blurred. Slowly everything went black as her mother’s arms wrapped around her.

“Once I get you to a healer, you rest and I know those babes I promise to help you Leila. Please find a way to forgive me.” Was the last Leila heard before everything went dark.